Chapter 34 Absens Haeres Non Erit

The rubble burst outward, sending debris in every direction. Karos stepped slowly from the heap of shattered stone, dust drifting off her in silence. Amos tightened his hold without thinking, his arms trembling.

“…Seriously?”

Blood kept dripping onto the wrecked floor beneath him. His breathing grew ragged, one eye blurring slightly. Several ribs were definitely broken—maybe even more. Meanwhile, Karos still stood.

The gash in her chest stayed open, silver mana flickering unnaturally around the injury. Still, the homunculus kept moving forward without pause.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Amos pushed himself back to his feet.

“Haaaaaaaah......Okay.”

He raised the damaged partisan weakly. “One more round then.”

Karos stopped.

Silence settled over the ruined sanctuary. Then, just like that, the killing intent was gone. Amos blinked, while Karos stood still, her silver eyes no longer vacant. No—now they held uncertainty, confusion, as if something long buried within had finally stirred awake.

“Impossible.”

Her voice sounded different now—less mechanical, more human. Karos met Amos’s gaze, then glanced at the Kyros mana coursing through her, and finally at the lingering spatial compression surrounding the partisan.

“…The prophecy…”

Amos frowned.

“What, when are you going to start attack.”

Karos took another slow step forward.

Not attacking.

Just staring.

“There is no need to anymore.”

The homunculus’s expression shifted in an odd way, something almost like relief.

“…You are the prophesied one.”

Amos stared blankly for several seconds.

“…I feel like people keep deciding that for me lately.”

Karos ignored the comment entirely.

Her silver eyes trembled slightly. “For centuries…” A quiet breath escaped her. “I waited and waited and waited and waited.”

Amos’ grip weakened slightly. “You could have started with that instead of murder.”

Karos looked genuinely confused. “…I needed confirmation.”

“You punched confirmation directly through my ribcage!”

“That was the fastest method.”

“That is so stupid!”

As the adrenaline wore off, set in. The pain crashed over him all at once, and Amos stumbled. “Ah.”

His legs gave way, sending him crashing to one knee before collapsing onto the cracked stone floor. The hit the ground with a sharp clang beside him. Every muscle throbbed with pain, and even drawing breath felt like torture.

“…I may have overdone it slightly.”

“You think?!.”

Dark spots danced at the edge of his vision. Nearby, Karos suddenly shifted with surprising speed. Amos reached for his weapon on instinct—then froze. Karos wasn’t attacking. The homunculus knelt quietly beside him, its human-like appearance oddly unsettling up close. A gentle hand pressed against Amos’ side, and silver mana pulsed outward. Warmth spread through his shattered ribs almost instantly.

“Oh.”

Healing. Old healing magic.

And absurdly effective healing magic at that.

Karos’s expression remained quiet while repairing the damage she herself caused.

“Apologies.”

Amos stared upward weakly.

“You know just have a conversation before hospitalizing someone.”

“I do not have much experience with people.”

“I'd believed you too.”

The underground sanctuary lay in ruins around them, with broken pillars and collapsed walls revealing centuries of long-hidden secrets. At last, Karos spoke again.

“…You truly are different from the others.”

“The others?”

“I have met many heir before you.”

Karos lowered her gaze slightly.

“Most who discovered this place sought power.”

Her silver eyes met Amos’s.

“You sought for me specifically.”

Amos let out a tired laugh despite the pain. “I was honestly just curious what my ancestor's so called masterpiece.”

“That too.”

The healing continued quietly. Then Karos hesitated slightly before speaking once more.

“Lord Kairos, my father believed someone would eventually appear.”

Amos’s expression shifted faintly.

“Kairos.”

“My father.”

Father.

Karos looked toward the ruined crystal coffin behind her.

“For centuries, I remained asleep whenever the wrong descendants came.”

“And attacked the correct one?”

Karos nodded calmly. “Yes.”

“That system needs improvement.”

A faint smile crossed Karos’s face—small, awkward, and clearly unpracticed. “Perhaps.”

The underground sanctuary was a, like a battlefield after a natural disaster. Stones lay in heaps, pillars lay shattered, and the archives were in ruins. Parts of treasury above were likely damaged as well. Amos took in the destruction as Karos helped him to his feet.

“Father is going to kill me for this.”

Karos looked around calmly. “This place is still working like intended.”

“That is not the standard people use usually.”

Even Karos’s healing magic, Amos still felt awful. The injuries had stabilized, but that was it. His ribs protested with every breath one arm stayed partially numb, and walking felt downright insulting.

“You got an extremely hard punch.”

Karos nodded once. “Yes.”

“That sounded proud.”

“I am.”

Karos steadied Amos as they made their way through the underground passage toward the treasury. The contrast between them was almost comical—one looked immaculate despite the fight, while the other seemed like he’d been repeatedly slammed by a castle, which wasn’t far from the truth. Amos shot a sideways glance at the silver-eyed homunculus.

“Seriously though.”

Karos looked at him.

“How are you so strong? You are even stronger than me.”

Karos said nothing. Amos frowned.

“I’m supposedly the prophesied child or whatever nonsense this family keeps talking about.”

“You are.”

“Then why aren’t you?”

That finally caused Karos to pause slightly. The homunculus looked forward quietly as though considering how to answer.

“…Because I was never destined for it.... or that what father had told me.”

“Father meaning Kairos?”

Karos nodded slowly. “My father sought perfection.” There was no bitterness in her voice instead it was pride. “He created me from his very own image.”

Amos blinked while Karos spoke calmly.

“My appearance.”

“My mana structure.”

“My physical capabilities.”

“My mind.”

“All modeled after The Great Lord Kairos E. Kyros.”

Then Karos straightened slightly. Actual pride appeared clearly on her face.

“I am the very image of Kairos.” The mana around her grew subtly stronger—not with aggression, but with quiet confidence. “The greatest head of House Kyros.”

A pause.

“The greatest before him.”

Another pause.

“And the greatest after him. No one will ever surpass father.”

Amos stared at her.

“That ego suddenly makes more sense now.”

“It is not ego.”

Karos answered immediately.

“It is factual.”

“You really do have Kyros blood.”

Karos looked mildly confused.

“I am literally your ancestor’s daughter.”

“You know what, that's fair point. My bad.”

They kept strolling slowly through the treasury halls, Amos unusually silent afterward. Because, despite the outrageous arrogance, Karos might actually right. Kairos’ diaries alone showed he was terrifying beyond reason—war criminal, genius, madman, monster, visionary. The sort of figure history both feared and revered.

And Karos…

Karos was built to resemble him perfectly.

“That old monster really made a mini version of himself.”

Karos tilted her head slightly.

“I am taller than father.”

“That somehow feels important to you.”

“It is.”

Amos laughed weakly despite his injuries.

Immediately regretted it.

“Ow.”

Karos glanced toward him again.

“You should rest.”

“I noticed.”

“Several bones remain damaged.”

“Yes, thank you. I can FEEL THEM.”

Karos nodded thoughtfully. “Your pain tolerance is impressive.”

“If you are this strong then why stay hidden all this time?”

Karos’s expression changed subtly. It wasn’t sadness—no, it was something different. “…Because father ordered me to wait.”

The answer came instantly.

“For the prophesied one?”

“Yes.”

Amos sighed heavily. “My family really likes making my life complicated.”

Karos looked genuinely confused again.“Is this considered complicated?”

Amos stopped walking entirely. He stared at the homunculus for several long seconds.

“You attempted to beat me to death beneath an ancient treasury after revealing you are my terrifying immortal ancestor-sister while confirming a family prophecy connected to a centuries-old war criminal.”

Karos considered this carefully.

“…I see.”

“You understand now?”

“No.”

“Just amazing.”